Course: Introduction to the New Testament 1

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Course title Introduction to the New Testament 1
Course code KBV/PTUN1
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Lesson
Level of course Master
Year of study 3
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Mareček Petr, doc. Dr. Th.D.
Course content
The concept of the New Testament. The history of the formation of the New Testament canon. The text of the New Testament: the main manuscripts of the Greek text; old translations; textual criticism. Introduction to the political and religious background of the New Testament period. Detailed introduction to selected books of the New Testament (the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles): circumstances of their composition, literary characteristics, structure, content, theology. Introduction 1. Introduction 1.1. The Concept and Subject Matter of Introduction to the New Testament 1.2. The History of the Academic Discipline of New Testament Introduction 2. The Canon of the New Testament 2.1. The History of the Formation of the Canon 2.2. Historical and Theological Issues Concerning the Canon 3. The Text of the New Testament 3.1. The Production of Books in Antiquity (writing materials, scripts, and textual layout) 3.2. Important Witnesses to the Text of the New Testament (Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the earliest translations) 3.3. The History of New Testament Textual Criticism 3.4. The Application of Textual Criticism to the Text of the New Testament 4. The Gospels in General 4.1. The Concept of ?Gospel? 4.2. The Origin of the Literary Genre ?Gospel? 5. The Synoptic Question 5.1. The Material of the Synoptic Gospels; Mutual Agreements and Differences among the Synoptic Gospels 5.2. The Existence of the Q Source 5.3. The Two-Source Theory 6. The Gospel according to Mark (author, place and date of composition, intended audience, sources used, content and structure, literary and theological character) 7. The Gospel according to Matthew (author, place and date of composition, intended audience, sources used, content and structure, literary and theological character) 8. The Gospel according to Luke (author, place and date of composition, intended audience, sources used, content and structure, literary and theological character) 9. The Gospel according to John (author, place and date of composition, intended audience, sources used, content and structure, literary and theological character) 10. The Acts of the Apostles (author, place and date of composition, intended audience, sources used, content and structure, literary and theological character) 11. The Religious and Political Background of the New Testament Period

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students will not only be able to understand the circumstances of the composition of selected books of the New Testament, but also describe their literary and theological character based on the knowledge they have acquired.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to - describe the history of the formation of the New Testament canon and the transmission and preservation of the New Testament text, - explain the circumstances of the composition of selected books of the New Testament, - characterize the literary and theological nature of selected books of the New Testament.
Prerequisites
No special prerequisites are required to study the course.

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam

To receive credit, students must prepare a written paper on textual criticism. The course concludes with an oral exam.
Recommended literature
  • Brown R. E. (1997). An introduction to the New Testament. New Yorik.
  • L. Tichý. (2003). Úvod do Nového zákona . Svitavy.
  • Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Roland E. Murphy (eds.). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. London. 1993.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester